a. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related generally to the field of flashings used to trim or join two surfaces, for example flashings are used to join the roof tiles of a first story roof to the siding of a second story portion of the same building in order to prevent water and moisture leakage into the structural components of the building and flashings are used to join two sections of roof tiles in order to prevent water and moisture leakage between the tile sections onto the structural components beneath.
More particularly the instant invention is related to apparatus useful in joining sections of liner surrounding a shower stall.
Yet more particularly, the instant invention is related to flashings that prevent water and moisture leakage by controlling the directional flow of water and condensate on the flashing's working surface. Where the flashing's working surface is defined as that surface upon which water and/or moisture accumulates.
Even yet more particularly, the instant invention is related to flashings that provide directional vanes, ribbing or etchings which, together with gravitational effects, provide directional flow of water and condensate on the flashing's working surface.
b. Description of the Prior Art
There are numerous flashings in common usage. Such flashings are commonly utilized to join two surfaces and provide a means for avoiding leakage of moisture to the surface support(s) beneath or behind the two surfaces. Such common applications of flashings include joining two sections of roofing tiles whereby the flashing is placed underneath the edges of each of the two sections of roofing tiles and is intended to prevent moisture from leaking onto and causing rotting of the roof tile subsurface in the region between the two sections of roofing tiles. Another common application of flashings includes joining a building's first story section of roofing tiles to such building's second story wall siding section whereby the flashing is placed underneath the edges of the roofing tiles and behind the siding section and acts, again, to prevent water and moisture from leaking onto and causing rotting of the structural portions of the building. A yet further common application of flashings is the placement of a flashing between two sections of shower liner where the shower liner may be covered with tiling or other ornamental surface and the shower liner serves to protect the building structure from the leakage of moisture through the ornamental surface. No such prior art applications of flashings teach the use of directional vanes, ribbing, scoring or etchings to control the direction of flow of the moisture which accumulates on the flashing's working surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,138,295 teaches use of sections of shower wall (liner) to capture moisture which are interior to the building walls and does not provide for any flashing between sections.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,705,002 teaches a molding used to join the surface of a window pane to the surface of a wall. Vertical scoring may be used on the molding to provide easy tear off and adjustment of molding width.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,435,021 teaches the use of a single piece, limp, and flimsy, elastic and extensible polyolefin film attached to the back side of the three vertical sections of a shower stall liner in order to keep moisture from leaking into the building structure.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,203,640 teaches the use of a profiled strip for joining the tiles of two vertical walls. The profiled strip takes the place of a flashing behind two adjacent vertical walls.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,159,723 teaches an improved bathtub wall form which provides a secure means of attaching the bathtub to structural wall members, a flashing that eliminates the bulge where drywall and the upper flashing of the bathtub meet, a means of holding the drywall edge away from the planar surface of the bathtub, and a wall tile groove.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,837,997 teaches a sealing system for sealing the joints formed between the top surface of a tub and two adjoining vertical walls. The sealing system utilizes three L-shaped sealing strips and one corner piece for sealing the corner where the joints meet. Each of the sealing strips, including the corner piece, are adhesively attached to the backs of the three adjoining surfaces formed by the vertical walls and the top surface of the tub.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,299,064 teaches use of a pair of orthogonally disposed flashings terminating in flared, flexible lips for overlapping adjunct edges of the panels which are the vertical walls of a tub surround. Each of the orthogonally disposed flashings provides a physical join, adhesively or otherwise, to the vertical walls making a corner.
All of the prior art patents disclose and teach the use of a vertically positioned L-shape as either the structure of or backing for a corner made by adjoining vertical walls of a tub or shower stall, but none of the known prior art, including the above-mentioned patents, discloses or teaches the use of directional vanes, ribbing, scoring or etchings to control the direction of flow of the moisture which accumulates on the flashing's working surface.
It is well-known and understood that the accumulation of moisture will cause beads of condensation on a vertical sheet, and that those beads of condensation may even form rivulets tending downwardly. However, it is also commonly observed that such rivulets divert momentarily either to the right or to the left in their downward flow. Such diversion, in the event that it intersects the edge of a protective flashing's working surface, will cause leakage into the building structure surrounding the tub or shower.
Accordingly, it is seen that the flashings and methods of joining the vertical walls of the prior art all suffer from a degree of leakage into the building structure surrounding the tub or shower.